Dravid wants Dhoni to stick to number 6

Rahul Dravid feels MS Dhoni should consistently bat up the order at number six as the Indian skipper has the ability to change the complexion of the side in away series.

Dhoni prefers to bat at number seven but has been successful after he decided to climb one step up in the ladder, scoring a patient 99 against England in Nagpur before cracking a superlative 224 against Australia in Chennai. While India managed to salvage a draw in the fourth Test of the series, his savage attack on the Aussies handed India an eight-wicket victory.

"He has moved up the order a little bit which has given him a chance to play such an innings - batting at number seven is difficult. At six, he will have an established batsman before him and an all-rounder after him," Dravid said.

India have failed to find a suitable replacement after Sourav Ganguly retired and VVS Laxman's exit last year has only compounded problems for the Indian side. With a tour of South Africa looming round the corner, the former numero uno Test team desperately needs a settled middle-order.

"From India's point of view, they will want him (Dhoni) to replicate this abroad and if he can actually bat at number six abroad, it will make India a different side, it will change the complexion of the Indian team - the balance of the team will be different," Dravid told ESPN Cricinfo.

"No one is expecting a 200 from him everytime he plays abroad but a level of consistency abroad will change the complexion of the Indian side," he added.

"I will want him to be at no 6 and I would like him to make a fist of it at no 6 abroad as well. It could allow you to play an all-rounder or someone like (Ravindra) Jadeja at 7 and three fast bowlers. Of course Jadeja has to improve his own batting. That will give the team an extra option."

Whether they would have the courage to do it abroad, remains to be seem," said the 40-year-old cricketer.

Dravid dismissed suggestions that the Man-of-the-Match winning 224 would have given Dhoni a bit of breathing space after experts kept calling for his head what with the defeat against England at home last year. The former India skipper felt Dhoni knew how to deal with pressure situations.

"I don't think a lot of this stuff bothers him. That's why he has survived and has had a lot of success."

"This innings was important for him from his own point of view. If you keep losing and doing that day in and day out, you can become weary of the job. You need some enjoyment, some reinforcement. There is nothing like scoring runs and winning as a captain and this innings will be a reinforcement," he said.

Dravid was also impressed with the way R Ashwin bowled on his home-ground, sending the Australian batsmen to a tizzy to pick up 12 wickets in the Test.

"Ashwin had a sort of setback but he has spent a lot of time with his coach. I don't judge youngsters by their setbacks. He has worked on his game and bowled a lot fuller during the Test and he bowled a lot slower. It is nice to see that he has bounced back - it is a good sign going ahead," he said.

India paceman Ishant Sharma was fined 15 per cent of his match fee for gesturing towards the pavilion after dismissing Australian batsman James Pattinson during the third day's play in the fourth Test in New Delhi.

The demoralising whitewash at the hands of India seems to have shaken the Australian team to the core as stand-in captain Shane Watson said it will be a big challenge for them to recover from the reversal.